Latch.



PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

LATCH.

J. G. HARDENBERGH.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 4, 1903.

I I I I I l I l .1: I

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented August 16, 1904.

JOHN C. HARDENBERGH, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,752, dated August 16, 1904.

Application filed ])ecember 4, 1903. erial No. 183,782. No model.)

To all, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN C. HARDENBERGH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of ()uyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to that class of latches known as rolling latches, and is designed to operate as a safety or other latch and also to prevent the door from rattling, due to lost motion between the parts incident to wear or shrinkage, or both.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is atop view of the latch with the cover removed. Fig. 2 is a face view. Fig. 3 is a side view. Figs. I and 5 are details of the latch-bolt. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are details of a movable block which supports the latch-bolt; and Figs. 9 and 10 are details of the adjustingavedge, which acts to take up for wear or shrinkage.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 6 indicates the latch-casing provided with suitable flanges 7, which have holes to receive screws, whereby it may be attached in its socket, preferably formed in the door-casing adjacent the jamb or strip against which the door hits when closed. The latch-bolt comprises a beveled head 8 and a curved body 9, disposed at an angle to the head. The beveled portion of the head 8 normally projects in the path of the door, and the back of the head is also beveled, as indicated at 8, to make a sort of wedge-contact with the socket or keeper 10 in the door 10 when the door is closed. The body 9 of the latch-bolt is of greater width than the head, so that retaining-shoulders 9 are produced to hold the bolt in the channel or way in which it slides. Said channel or way is formed by a block 11, consisting of a triangular-shaped piece of metal, one side edge of which is curved, as at 11, to conform to the curve of the latch-bolt 9. The latch-bolt slides between this curved face and a slotted wall or partition 12, produced Within the casing. The slot referred to (indicated at 12) receives a stop-pin 9 projecting from the latch-bolt. The block 11 is recessed or hollowed, as indicated at 11 to receive the head 8 of the latch-bolt when it is retracted. Behind the block 11, between it and the casing, is a wedge 13, the wide end of which terminates in a stem 13 which projects through a hole in the back of the casing, where it is pressed by a flat spring 1e, secured to the easing: To operate the latch, aspring 15 is used. This is a flat spring held by its tension be tween the wall of the casing and the pin 9" on the latch-bolt. When the latch-bolt is pressed in, the spring doubles to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

At 16 a tongue is indicated, connected with the knob of the door or otherwise to release the latch.

In operation the'head of the latch projects into the path of the door, and when the door closes against the bevel thereof it yields with in the casing and allows the door to close, and the latch-head springs into the socket in the door. .It will be seen that the latch-bolt is entirely loose, or rather has no fixed pivot. Consequently it will follow the door to take up wear on the parts or any change in position due to shrinkage, such action being produced by the action of the wedge 13. As fast as the parts wear the pressure of the spring 14: causes the wedge to move the block 11 against the latch-bolt, which keeps the latter in position and prevents it from loosening. Lost motion, due to wear or otherwise, is thus taken up as fast as it occurs, and rattling of the door or looseness between the latch-bolt and the door-socket is prevented. The stop 9 by contact with the end of the slot 12 acts to prevent the latch-bolt being thrown out of its casing.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a latch, in combination, a casing, a spring-actuated latch-bolt slidable therein, and an adjustable guide-block forming one wall of the way in which the bolt slides.

2. In a latch, in combination, a casing having a slideway therein, a spring-actuated latchbolt slidable in the way, and a loose springpressed block forming one wall of the way.

3. The combination with the casing, of the curved springactuated latch bolt slidable therein and having a beveled head, the loose treated, and a spring-pressed Wedge bearing block been-ingag'ainst the concave side of the between the block and the caslng.

bolt. and a spring-messed wedge behind the 1 In testimony whereoflhave signed mynarne block. to this'specifieation in the presence of two sub- 5' 4:. The combination with the casing, of the scribing witnesses.

curved swin -actuated latch -bolt slidable 7 therein aiid lizwing'a beveled head projecting JOHN HARDENBERGH' on the concave side of the bolt, the loose WVitnesses:

block bearing against said side of the bolt and JOHN A. BOMMHARDT,

IO having a recess to receive the head when rel LOTTIE NEWBURN. 

